Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-13
A LITTLE MORE GRAPE.
An Gpen Letter on Domestic Wines
in Texas.
Dr.. 0eTreips views on Grape Culture and
the Amendment-An Industry That VIII
Not be Affected by Prohibition.

ls WACO, TEX, May II, 1857.
Messrss bullock, Fuller and Carswell, Decatur,
| GENrIEMEN-Your favor of yesterday
just received and contents noted. The
statemeaf contained that you are prohis
bitionists and that you favor the pres
posed constitutional amendment in its
present form is gratifying to our Central
committee. #
| 1t IS Strictly true, as you suggest, that
If native wines and beer had been ex-
empted, the7opposition would have found
more "bugs under the chip" than IN the
present form of the bill. Judge TerreIls
speech in 1881 sufficiently proves that
But you1call attention to the fact that
Wise county is largely given to- grape
culture, there being, as you allege, .fue
acres in all so devoted, which produces
annually the enormous amount of bcenty
barrels of domestic acme. Thst this
/ immense business is controlled by few
Germans. And then you ask how best to
meet an anti-prohibition objection thus
stated: "Under the proposed amend
ment these han dozen Germans could
not make their own wine from their own
grapes, but might import foreign wines
for their table, thus discriminating against
Texas products and in favor of foreign
products" ~
l believe this is fair statement Of the
case and it's difficulties.
Under the pressure of much business,
l send you cff-hand the following reply,
and as others over the state may be
propounding similar questions, you will
excuse me for making the reply in this
public form:
l. My immediate neighbor, Colonel J.
M. Anderson, enc of the sblest and most
jealous Prohibttionists in Texas, has 9
vineyard in which all the Wise county
vineyards could be dropped and lost.
He, though his money is invested in this
way, and though he is a sharp business
man, sees no trouble financial or other
wise threatened by this amendment
against his present grape-culture or the
indefinite extension of the business. On
the contrary he expects to derive crest
benefit to grape culture by the adoption
of this amendments Even one we'll
ascertained fact is worth much. If it be
good for him, it caEsbe made good for
other expenditures in Texas. And
why? Because underline restrictions Of
this amendment grSpe-culture in Texas
can be made enormously profitable
Texas pays annnallyAyast sum of money
for raisins and cennedEgrapes, which are
all imported goods. Why cannot
our home market Pvineyards supply
this immense market? If our state is
adapted by nature to this industry, then
here is an open and nnoccupied field
which will call for increase in the extent
and yield of our vineyards ten thousand
fold.
2. If it is preferred to, convert these
grapes into wine, then there are more
processes than one, we'll known for 1000
years, by which an utterly unintoxicatilg
wine can be made, whichis delightful tC
the palate, nOurishing as food, and ev-
cry way preferable to fermented and intox
icatiDg wines. By cooling processes, OF
by boiling, sweet and delicious wine
can be made, which viii keep pure,
which will be valuable commodity. A
Vineyard so devoted will Delighted up by
day by the radiant smilesof God and be
believed at night with his benediction.
"Thus saith the Lord, AS the new wine is
found in the cluster, and one saith, DE
stroy it not; for blessing is in it, y
lisa. 65:8. - Y
That such wine can be made, that il
can be preserved, and that it is whole
some, palatsble and nutritious IS the
testimony of history. About such wine
Aristotle, Pliny, Virgil and many clas.
steal authors speak. This amendment
therefore, will not dig up single grape
vine in Texas. as
1t is frankly conceded, however, that
the law will forbid the making of int0ri
eating agine6, and justly so, because there
is q curse in them.
3. Texas cannot prohibit the importa-
ton of liquors, because that matter is
controlled by the laws of the United
States Congress. The following unques-
toned decision of the Supreme court
settles that matter: ~
"Spirits and distilled liquors are uni
versally admitted to be subjectof owner
ship and property; and are therefore sub
jects of exchange, barter and traffic,
like any other commodity in which a
right of property exists; and inasmuch as
the laws of Congress authorize the i'm
pOrtaton4 no state has q right4to pro
hibit their introduction. But although
the importation cannot be prohibited by
a state, the state is not bound to furnish
q market for it, and may restrain or
prohibit the sale after it is brought into
the state" 9Th Towards U. S. Rep
577. "a
For such product God sends His rains
upon theearth that it may bring forth food
"And wine that maketh glad the heart of
man, and oil to make his face to shine,
and bread which strengthened, mans
heart .s-Psa. 1O4: 10.
This ''fruit of the vine" God by natural
process makes ont Of the 1gater which
falls from the skies. In the clouds he
breWsit and in tn burrows he distifls it,
In the chemical laboratory of nature, by
slow, patural processes he ordinarily con-
verts this water into wine. Once only,
by instantaneous miracle, without fer
mentEtion or distillation, but by omnific
will, fEHe looked upon the water-snd
the conscious water saw it's God and
blushed."
But discrimination against Texas pro
| ducts does not follow from this decision.